Briquette composition and process for making briquettes



Patented Mar. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GUSTAV KOMA'REK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF: TO KOMAREK GREAVES COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS, AND ONE-FOURTH TO GEORGE MACPHAIL AND ONE-FOURTH TO CHARLES CORYELL,

BOTH or BAY CITY, MICHIGAN,"

BRIQUETTE COMPOSITION AND PROCESS FOR MAKING BRIQUETTES No Drawing.

material in various ways but for the'mostpart the briquettes have not been satisfactory, due to the crumbling, smokiness and the objectionable dirtiness which is a characteristic of the coke as it comes from the still or 0t er source. The present invention has for it object to combine with etroleum coke, c rbon coke in finely divided condition and i the form of fines or breeze and preferably fines or breeze from low temperature coke.

It has been found that coke fines and coke breeze, particularly-that from low temperature coke, has an aflinityfor the high or excessive residual volatile and solid matter present in petroleum coke and such carbon coke being porous will absorb and difluse sufiiciently the free residuals.

It has, moreover, been found that the combination of petroleum coke and carbon coke following my invention can be so handled as to produce a briquette which will be practica'lly smokeness and which will not crack but will hold and maintain its form during combustion.

The petroleum coke when combined with ordinarycarbon coke in the form 0 fines or breeze, and particularly with breeze of low Application filed July 25, 1929.' Serial No. 381,080.

surface cracks during combustion is produced. This is attributable partly at least, to' the fact that the high volatile matter present in the petroleum coke is diffused in the carbon coke, thus producing a retarded combustion.

In carrying out the invention, I take petroleum coke, which is the carbon and high molecular weight hydrocarbon solid substance formed during the pyrogenic decomposition of petroleum hydrocarbons in the well known cracking processes. Such coke, however, may be obtained from the paraflin department of a refinery and from other suitable sources.

This material has an approximate'analysis as follows:

Moisture, per cent 1.40 Volatile matter, per cent 1203 Fixed carbon, per oent 85.84 Ash, per cent 0.84 Sulfur, per cent 1.23 B. t. u., per pound 15,293

The coke as it comes from the still or cracking plant is extremely dirty and objectionable because ofthe fine carbon soot it makes upon handling and of the oily stain it leaves wherever deposited. It usually donsists of approximately seventy-five per cent (75%) dust and twenty-five per cent (25%) lump, the latter being about an inch in diameter and usually unstable.

The petroleum coke s0 obtained is crushed tp fine condition and there is then admixed with it ordinary carbon coke, so that the two are thoroughly intermingled. By carbon coke is meant coke fines or coke breeze obtained in the production of ordinary coke from coal andI prefer to use the fines or breeze from low temperature coke.

The fines or breeze are porous and, as distin'guished from the petroleum coke, have a low volatile content and are relatively slow burning.

Moreover, I have discovered that the coke fines or breeze, particularly from low temother residual and free solid matter also contained in the petroleum coke. These components of the petroleum coke are highly combustible and when the petroleum coke is burned alone or in combinationwith materials not having the properties of the carbon coke employed in this invention, produce objectionable smoke and carbon stringers which I seek to eliminate.

When petroleum coke and the carbon coke in the form of breeze or fines are admixed, by reason of its aiiinity and porosity, the excessive amounts of residuals of volatile and solid matters from the petroleum coke, all of which are highly combustible, are ab sorbed by the carbon coke and difi'used through the mass.

In this manner the low volatile, slow burning carbon coke acts as a check upon the corebustibility of the highly combustible free components of the petroleum coke. This, I have found, efi'ectually solves the problem and permits the production of a smokeless briquette which will hold its form and which, moreover, will be slow burning and complc y combustible.

ll be clear that since the highly ems.-

free GQIlStlttli-Il'fg of the petroleum 'e retained and diii'used in the carbon 1 l trolling member for regulating the rate elf combustion of the briqnette.

The amount of carbon coke which is added will, of course, be proportional to the quantity cf free residual volatile and solid constitnents present in the 'petroleum coke.

Fer most purposes up to fifty per cent (50%) carbon coke will be satisfactory, but on the other hand, this amount may be in creased and naturally decreased,since the analysis of petroleum coke from various stills will necessarily show a marked discre'pancy.

The petroleum coke, therefore, is combined with the breeze or coke fines which are ordinarily a waste and which are preferably obtained from low temperature coking operations, and this carbon coke performs the several functions of absorbing the excess of highly combustible residual matter contained in the petroleum coke as well as regulating the process and duration of combustion. The petroleum coke being highly com bustible and the ordinary coke being rela tively slow, naturally the rapidity of com-- bustion is reduced and likewise this rate can be varied in accordance with the amount of carbon coke which is admixed.

The petroleum coke as removed from the source of supply may be suliiciently moist andoily as to not require the use of a binder. In such cases, it is merely necessary to combine the breeze with the petroleum coke and briquette in the usual manner. lVhere, however, there is not suflicient residual matter to allow of immediate briquetting, a suitable binder is employed. i i

A large variety of such agents are avail able as for example hydrocarbon binders in the nature of'asphalt or coal tar pitch in which case the briquette is usually coked at temperatures from 600 to 1500 F. This will produce a smokeless briquette, which holds its shape and does not crack or crumble while burning.

Binders such as sulphite liquor, starch or inorganic binders may be used and the briquettes may then be used without further treatment or baked at temperatures from 350 to 600 F. or coked as above set forth.

The desirability of coking or baking, of course. will depend upon the nature of the briquette such as its moisture content or the binder employed and'in many cases is not necessary or desirable.

' In cn nection with heat treatment of the briquette, it is possible to produce a smokeless briquette from the petroleum coke and coke breeze or carbon coke by submitting the briquette after it has been formed toa moderate heat t eatment of from to 600 F. for the z of burning olii any of the free com upon the surface st the briqnette. 1hr rpose of the carbon coke, of course, is orb and diil'use all of the free residual tibles of the carbon coke, but obviously there. may be a small surface content in the briquette which, if given a moderate heating, can he iectively removedand'the final briquetti; roduct will be substantially smoke" less. A- s stated, the amount of coke fines or colre breeze will vary considerably, since if the residual matter in the petroleum coke is very hi gh yiuch larger percentage of coke breeze The results and reaction, are always the same.

with a briquette 0f dry petroleum coke, that is petroleum coke having a relatively low volatile and oily content, or heated to remove such content before being combined with coke breeze or coke fines, a highly improved combustion obtains which is uncpiestionably due to the strong attractions or atiinit; of the carbon coire ior the volatile gases emitted from the petroleum coke.

It will be understood at this point that the petroleum coke may be in its original form as taken rom the still or other source or it may be preliminarily treated to remove some of the volatile gases and oily component before being combined with the carbon coke. In either case, however, as explained, a more effective and cleaner combustion is obtained.

A practical test which I have made showed that briquettes from petroleum coke without the admixture of coke breeze would emit much smoke during combustion and an ordinary charge of twenty-five pounds fired in a stove would emit black smoke for thirty-five minutes and produce much objectionable soot in the form of long black stringers. The same petroleum coke briquette with forty per cent $1092) carbon coke in the form of breeze or es from low temperature coke, and not heat treated, emits only light yellow smoke for twelve minutes and would produce no soot in the form of black strin ers. The presence of the carbon coke broug t about this very briquetted, were given a moderate heat treat-' ment, the burnin was accomplished without any evidence of o jectionable smoke or soot.

It will be clear that the presence of the carbon coke acting to retard and control combustion of the briquette will serve an additional function, namely it will cause the briquette to hold its shape or form without 25 crackin open or distortin due to swelli during combustion. Ordinarily, the bi l quettes arenot preliminarily heat treated.

In the practlcal use of the present invention when the briquettes are introduced into so a domestic or industrial heating plant only the surface will ignite and as soon as it becomes heated no more smoke is emitted. This ,is due to the porosit of the breeze or fines which are distribute throu h the briquette u and which have absorbed an act to store and maintain the excess volatile matter and free residuals present in the petroleum coke. This volatile content would otherwise distort and swell the briquette resultin in disruption of the surface crust and pass 0 as objectionable smoke. However, by storing or retaining them in the carbon coke and maintaining uncracked the surface; crust, only the crust will burn and at the desired slow rate of combustion. v

It will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the particular type of coke breeze or coke fines which are employed, but I find it preferable to use the breeze or fines m obtained from low temperature coking.

Moreover, presence of the breeze or fines difi'used through the mass of petroleum coke will act to absorb the volatile gases emitted by the petroleum coke and in this manner control the rateof combustion and cause the mass to retain its form without crumbling. At the same time, the B. t. u. of the petroleum coke is in no wise impaired and its value as a fuel 50 becomes commercially realized.

What I claim is:

'1. A briquette comprising petroleum coke and a coke product of the destructive distillation of coal.

6i 2. A briquette comprising petroleum coke it will be understood that the and a coke product obtained from low temperature destructive distillation of coal.

3. A briquet comprising petroleum coke,

and a-porous comminuted coke product of the destructive distillation of coal, said coke product being resent in suflicient amount to absorb and di use throughout the mass excess volatiles and comibustible matter in the petroleum coke to control the rate of combustion.

4. A briquet com rising petroleum coke having a relatively ow content of volatiles and excess combustible matter, a coke roduct of the destructive distillation of coa and a binder.

5. The recess of making a briquet comprising a ixing petroleum coke and a coke product of the destructive distillation of coal, and heating to remove any free surface smoke forming substances.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto m hand. y GUSTAV KOMAREK.

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